


Not all who wander are lost...

by M (thelonelywarrior)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2748155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelonelywarrior/pseuds/M
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He thought he was free, travelling around with a blue box - but he underestimated the devil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not all who wander are lost...

It has been quite a while since she heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing and Clara was certainly delighted. She could feel her heart leaped as though she’s meeting an old friend again. She ran and saw the beautiful box, landed itself in the middle of her living room, oh - the good and the bad memories. They were past but they were what made her today, that was what made adventure so attractive, the growing experience.

She inched towards the TARDIS and pushed the door open.

“Hello?”

“Oh, Clara - time for a thing!”

“A thing?”

“An adventure, of course. What were you thinking?” The Doctor puffed and ran his fingers along the console, jiggling with different buttons, adjusting the coordinates.

“Nothing,” Clara frowned and sighed. She smiled and swayed herself towards The Doctor as she overlooked how The Doctor played on the buttons. “So… where are we going?”

“I was thinking,” The Doctor leaned himself against the console and looked at her, “Now that we’re all good… Let’s have a leisure trip, something - normal, by your standard.”

“Do you think after all these, something normal by my standard, make any difference?”

“Well, I mean… Hmm, a friend kind of activity.”

“A picnic?”

“No, not picnic,” The Doctor paused. The last time he went for a picnic, he lost two dearest friends and family of his. He shuddered at the thought, he’s not ready for that - not yet.

“Tell you what, I would like to look at the stars - from space.” Clara said. She knew from The Doctor’s face of what he was thinking, and such was the relationship she had with the Doctor. They called it friendship, and they had come a long way. Not all relationships were smooth anyway. She was now very glad that they were back and cozy.

“Stars!” The Doctor’s face brightened up. “Of course, stars! It has been quite a while since I do that. I’ve been focusing on so many things that I ceased to stop and admire the plain nature of time and space! Clara, you’re a -”

“Yes?”

“I’m not going to say anything. That’s a good idea.” The Doctor snapped. Clara giggled. The Doctor still retained a certain quality of his, but that makes her laugh.

“I’m not gonna push it - but yea, good idea.”

“Hold on tight, then.” The Doctor shoved himself around the console and punched a few buttons before pulling the lever. The TARDIS gave a little wobble and off they go.

Meanwhile, Clara walked around the TARDIS, running her fingers across the shelves and every corner. She missed the TARDIS too. The smell of it, the familiarity. When one travelled so much with The Doctor, TARDIS became what you felt like home. Then she spotted something she had never seen in the TARDIS before.

“Doctor?”

“Hmm?” The Doctor replied without looking up from the console screen, his tongue licked his lip as he did a few checks on the screen.

“Did it rain in space?” Clara asked, as she picked up a black umbrella. It looked peculiarly familiar, but she can’t recall any other information about it.

“Rain… what?” The Doctor turned and his face froze at the view of what was in Clara’s hand, “Oh, that! Put that down!”

“Oh, why?” Clara and her curiosity. She turned the umbrella around, it was simply a black umbrella with a few intricate design along the handle, and it was not wet.

“It’s - er”

“I don’t remember you use an umbrella - no, you had one when you were - the one before you,” Clara was thinking, “but that was different and more - formal.”

“Just put it back, Clara.” The Doctor snapped.

“Oh, look, here’s some bobby pin!” Clara yelped as she picked some black bobby pins off one of the shelves, near where the umbrella was. “You don’t use this, do you?” Clara laughed.

The Doctor’s eyes widened and his eyebrows showed a confused and angry look. He cursed under his breath. “Yes - no - No! These are - souvenirs - yes, souvenirs (what a touristy word!)”

“Oh, from who?” Clara glanced at The Doctor suspiciously. It was fun poking The Doctor, especially when he was at such a state. The Doctor looked at Clara with his calculative stare. He needed to get a way round this conversation.

“A friend of mine. Now, shut up! Are we going to see the stars or not?”

Clara’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever.”

*****

He parked his transport nicely on the carpet in Clara’s house, making sure she won’t be crossed to find a few burnt patches on it, like what he did the last time when he pulled the break too abruptly.

Clara hopped off the TARDIS, smiling. They had just finish a few tour around the universe looking at different star clusters. She felt the Doctor was different, yet each adventure made them a different selves, so she did not put much of a thought about it and waved, “See you, Doctor. Do remember to bring me along when there’s some good stuff going on. I don’t want to miss them.”

“Ah, yes, Clara. What’d I do without you?” The Doctor laughed, “Now pop off.” He snapped his fingers and the TARDIS shut its door. Clara sighed.

Inside the TARDIS, The Doctor let out a deep breath. He immediately changed the buttons and plugged his fingers inside the mind-linking panel, searching for the exact place he wanted to go.

The TARDIS light started to rotate itself around and it was travelling to its next destination.

It stopped in a tud and The Doctor swept across the room towards the entrance.

“OI!” He shouted.

Outside, the blue box was floating amidst darkness of the universe and it appeared that The Doctor was shouting towards emptiness.

“I know you’re there.” The Doctor hissed.

Immediately a window opened next to the TARDIS door. “Oh please, you know, you’re quite a yeller sometimes.” Missy was standing at the window, or door, or whatever it might be. She looked as usual, in her purple skirt and buttoned up blouse and her matching coat.

“Need to make sure you hear me, don’t I?” The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

“Now I heard you, Mr. President.” Missy sang. The two of them leaned against their own TARDIS door, facing each other. “It’s so rare these days, for you to call me up, darling.”

“Shut up -”

“D’you miss me?”

“Cut it off, Missy,” The Doctor grunted, “You do know what you’ve done, didn’t you?”

“Oh, honey, what’ve I done? Did the kiss annoyed you?”

The Doctor ignored her as he walked into his TARDIS and came back with the black umbrella and bobby pins Clara found earlier.

“This!”

“Ah, I was starting to wonder where they were. What a clumsy me! Thanks, love.”

“You knew I would be visiting Clara, and you put it there! She’s not stupid.”

“She didn’t find out, did she?” Missy looked at The Doctor sideway, “She’s a smart girl, but I knew her well. I always choose the right person, darling.”

“We made an agreement not to mention that, remember.” The Doctor crossed his arms.

“I chose you,” Missy winked. She reached out from her TARDIS and uncrossed The Doctor’s arm, pulling his collars and neated his coat. “You still look good, Doctor.”

The Doctor cleared his throat and squared his chest, “ Well, why wouldn’t I -” Then he remembered what brought him there. “But still, you shouldn’t be leaving things around.” The Doctor said sternly, “After what you did, do you think she’s that forgiving? She needs time.”

“She’ll do fine,” Missy rolled her eyes, “you’re being too protective over her.” She ran her arms along The Doctor’s coat and rested them on his chest and hopped over towards the TARDIS side, planting a kiss on The Doctor’s cheek. She tried to drag The Doctor together into his TARDIS, but he stopped her.

“What’s the matter, hun?”

The Doctor looked at Missy, who was now curled up against him. “I thought I would visit your TARDIS this time.”

Missy cracked a smile…

*****

The Doctor knew he won’t have much time left. He was fidgeting around the console room, taking in details. He was wearing his boots while checking on the technology Missy had in her ship. It was always a shame that The Master or Missy having exceeding his own ability in technology and telepathic skills. He had to admire the detailed and a myriad of functions the console could do.

However, he was rather chuffed to find that the console room looked very much like his own TARDIS’. The bookshelves were lining across the wall, including certain sections which The Doctor frowned over Missy’s choice of books. But generally, they were choices of great taste. The surrounding resonated with his own TARDIS a lot and if it weren’t for his own sanity, he would have thought he was back in his own ship. _Look like we do have a certain common taste, after all_ , he thought.

He pretended to neat his shirt and coat when Missy’s voice could be heard from one of the corridors in the TARDIS, “Are you done, honey?”

“One moment,” The Doctor replied. He was buying time to check out what was Missy’s plan.

He would never trust Missy that much. The fact that she had been snuggling and kissing him was disturbing him a little. He needed to find out what was all these about.

“Darling, I need some help here!”

The Doctor puffed and gave the room a last check before following the voice to find Missy.

Missy, being in her female form, had taken a habit of preparing her make-up in her so-called ‘dressing room’. The Doctor knocked the room door, which was ajar, “You were the one who ask me not to look at you.” He pushed the door to find Missy, half clad.

“What the -,” The Doctor gasped and turned to pretend he was looking down the corridor, “You’re not dressed!”

“That’s why I called. Come on, help me.”

“What?” The Doctor blushed but Missy had already dance across the room and hold him to face her. The Doctor turned to look at the ceiling of the room, concentrating on why he was there.

“I can’t seem to put on my corset,” Missy pouted. The Doctor can’t help but scanned her face a little. His current generation seemed to feel something for this beautiful face, but he was blaming that on the hormones. Before he realized, his eyes were already staring at Missy’s half-exposed breasts.

“Watch where you lay your eyes, Doctor,” Missy reminded him, though looked very happy, “You need permission for that.”

“I- I’m not looking at anything,” The Doctor pursed his lips and turned Missy around in a rough manner, leaving her to gasp at the sudden movement. He grabbed the strings and tried to figure out how best to finish the task.

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?”

“You asked for help,” The Doctor frowned, “I guess it should be same as tying my boots… Why are you wearing this anyway?” He was actually enjoying the moment, as his hands brushed lightly across Missy’s back. It reminded him of the time when they were young, when everything else did not matter, just The Master and him.

“This is not a -” but she paused as she felt The Doctor’s touch behind her. The room was very quiet and she could hear the two of them breathing.  _Well, that was one of the very few things I have to pick up when I get into this form_ , Missy thought.

“Done,” The Doctor sighed. He had no idea how long he had been tieing the goddamn corset, but it felt like forever when his mind was wandering. He casually observed the back of Missy, her hair, donned as usual, her neck, her shoulder, her back, her waist… He wasn’t even sure what happened first. The next thing he knew, he was leaning forward, enveloping the figure in front of him, in his arms around her. He looked into the mirror, at the reflection of the two of them.

Missy was both shocked and pleased with the progress, but the silence of the room definitely built up a certain mood between them. She was gazing into The Doctor’s eyes through the mirror, to find his on hers. “Honey,” she purred.

“May I?”

Missy looked towards The Doctor’s reflection, who is now inching his face so close that the two of their faces were just next to each other.

“You’re definitely a quick learner, darling,” Missy smirked.

*****

“Yes, Clara, what’s it?” The Doctor popped his head out of his TARDIS as soon as he landed in Clara’s room.

Clara obviously rang The Doctor earlier but all the conversation had was, “Doctor, are you there? Are you there?”

The Doctor, being protective over his little friends as usual, travelled right away to find her.

“Ah, Doctor!” Clara laughed gleefully as she walked pass The Doctor into the TARDIS, ignoring him.

“Wait - what?”

“I need a time machine, for a while,” Clara laughed, hinting on something she was holding. It was a pile of exercise books.

“Mind explaining?” The Doctor raised his eyebrows, “I thought we are not travelling on Sundays, unless it is an emergency.”

“This is an emergency!” Clara yelled, “I’ve got these to finish marking before returning them on Monday. And if I don’t, I will have to stay back for that and couldn’t well go for another trip with you - Don’t you think that’s kind of a emergency kind of emergency?”

“You’re using my TARDIS, as your workdesk! On Sundays!” The Doctor was annoyed.

“Exactly!” Clara grinned and continued into the TARDIS.

“You can’t -” The Doctor remembered something and tried to drag Clara out of the TARDIS, “let me park my TARDIS somewhere better so that you get to enjoy some good - err - environment - yes, environment - while doing your wonderful marking thing!”

“Nah, it’s alright,” Clara ignored him and piled the books on one of the cushion in the console room. “I get it you’re trying to help - but this is good enough, my friend.”

“What’s it, love?”

Clara and The Doctor stopped dead at their conversation. The Doctor’s face paled and he was doing quick small-step run towards one of the doorway.

“What’s that?” Clara whispered.

“N-nothing,” The Doctor gasped, and he suddenly raised his voice, “Clara, the TARDIS must be very pleased to see you. Stop, making that noise, my love!”

He hoped his strategy work as he turned to look at Clara and showed her the sweetest smile he could ever gave, the look-at-me-I’m-all-good-and-being-nice smile.

“That’s not the TARDIS.”

“Okay, you want to mark your thingy - go ahead - mark them. Chop chop.” The Doctor snapped, “I’m meeting Churchill for a drink later - and you’re not invited. So, you better finish off your business ASAP. Ha! ASAP - yes, ASAP!”

Clara rolled her eyes at the dry joke, “Right.” She started on the books, “Just bring me back to the timing just now so that I can have the rest of my Sunday before tomorrow.”

The Doctor then skipped into the corridor, “I’ll be right back. Checking the library…”

He ran quickly towards his private study room.

“You’ve gotta pay that back, my dear,” Missy sang, flipping one of the books on her lap. Her hair was let down, draping partly over her black sweater. She crossed her legs, underneath a dark pencil skirt.

“Thanks,” The Doctor panted from all the running. “And that’s why I said we should go to your TARDIS!” The Doctor hissed.

“Excuse me! Someone criticized my collection of fairy tales - oh, I wonder who?” Missy put down the book on her lap and looked at The Doctor.

“Shhh!”

“Ha!” Missy laughed sarcastically.

“Fairy tales are not real anyway. They gave you false impression of heroes and legends.” The Doctor frowned.

“You’re just jealous of me spending more time with my - heroes,” Missy smiled and pulled The Doctor to sit next to her, “rather than you, aren’t you?”

The Doctor made sure he left a gap between them and hissed, “Shut up! Clara might hear us. And - manners! This is my TARDIS we’re talking about.”

“Your TARDIS was not very fond of me all the time, dear - do you think that made any difference to me?”

The room gave a loud honk in response and Missy whispered “See” into The Doctor’s ears.

“You did terrible things to her, what do you expect?”

Missy sighed. “Tough life it is - to be loved by someone who’s surrounded by so many jealous women…”

The Doctor looked at her but didn’t say a thing. He was not sure if she was right or it was just them paying too much attention to their own past. It was a curious phase… He was still very cautious that this psychotic woman could turn against him any moment, into the monster who tried to rule the world; but sometimes, he felt so close to her. Was he turning into a darker version of himself?

“Kiss me”

“What - no!”

“Pretending to be innocent? Come on, honey - you did so many things,” Missy threw the book away and threw herself at The Doctor, “Kissing is so nothing!”

The Doctor looked at the lady in front of her and can’t help himself but to press a kiss on her lips. He quickly remembered what was outside at the console room and jumped out of the chair. “I better go have a look - Clara - Clara’s out there.”

Missy pouted and gave his arse a good slap before he hopped out of the room.

“Ha, Clara - care for some tea?” The Doctor laughed as he re-entered the console room, with two cups of tea on a tray, which he brought along the way.

Clara looked at him suspiciously, “You’re bit different, Doctor.”

“Different? Of course not! I am me! Tea?” The Doctor passed the cups under Clara’s nose before putting them on the tea table that was recently placed in the console room.

Clara was distracted from her marking that she peered at the tea table, “Speaking of which - that table… your whole TARDIS is getting - getting a bit too cozy - bit too much of - domestic.”

“Making it to feel like home, didn’t I?”

“Your home?” Clara paused. She remembered the barn she visited, was nothing like this cozy little living-room-style home, but she could not say it, she should not let him know she had visited him during his childhood.

“Yea, home!” The Doctor laughed again. Clara reckoned there was something in his laughter that was not quite right. It felt exactly like bantering that he himself disapproved during their trip in Sherwood.

“Well, I’m at the last ten - and I’m done. I’ll be off in no time. Don’t you worry, Doctor.”

The Doctor seemed delighted by that, “Great!” He turned to clean one of the blackboard while waiting for Clara to disappear. He lied so many times in his lifetime, but his confidence on this event was not as much as any other time.

Clara seemed to be a very clever girl that she sped up her marking and gulped some of the tea in split second. “Done! Bring me back to afternoon, doctor.” she demanded.

“Yes, Clara.” The Doctor obeyed and pulled the lever. Clara felt something was too fishy with The Doctor not arguing with her. All the arguments, had always been the foundation of their friendship - and this was not okay.

“Bye,” Clara smiled when the TARDIS brought her back in time, carrying all the books out of the TARDIS.

“See you, goodbye - have a nice Sunday!” The Doctor smiled gleefully before closing the TARDIS door behind Clara.

*****

The Doctor wiped his forehead of relief for the lie had a closure. He sprang to the controls and quickly dematerialize the TARDIS. At the same time, he turned to the screen and switched on the camera in his private study room, after punching in some password. There she was, Missy reading quietly. That was very peculiar of her, The Doctor thought. It had been quite some time since they had a few activities around, but he still haven’t figure out what demonic plan Missy was having in her cookbook. He had searched high and low in her TARDIS, paying secret visits to different tribes of aliens across the universe, but none seems to have any connection to her. Occasionally, she would watch him save the Earth from his TARDIS, which was very troubling to him.

“What’re you playing at, Missy?” The Doctor gazed at Missy on the screen. She was a beauty, even when observed from a hidden camera. He shook his head to return to reality and turned off the screen. “She’s gone -”

“I’d fancy some adventure!” sang Missy in high pitch, entering the room fluttering her eyelashes.

“Stop with the eyes, how did you do that anyway?” The Doctor snapped.

“Ah, my love, stop repeating your own catchphrase when Clara’s not around. You love it - you love how my eyes are so magnificent, don’t you?”

“Rubbish.”

“Sometimes I should really kill her out of jealousy, really…” Missy mumbled as she reached out for the control. The Doctor slapped her hand by instinct, “Hands off! - And don’t you dare to even think about killing her!”

Missy ignored The Doctor’s word and gave him a deep kiss, which he did not resist.

“Where’re we going then?” Missy finally pulled them apart and asked passionately.

“Your ship.”

“Nope,” Missy purred, “ We’re visiting somewhere else… purrrlease?”

Both his heart would have melted, but he was just over an intense situation and he needed to clear his mind and get quiet. He quickly went on to the exit and pulled the door, “Out! Now!”

Missy’s face was stunned at first, but turned into a cheeky grin; she was looking at something outside the TARDIS. Soon, The Doctor realized why was that.

Standing outside  the door, still too stiff for movement, was Clara, holding on to the TARDIS frame. It wasn’t the first time she did that, but The Doctor wasn’t aware she was doing it again this time. He sprang and stood between Missy and Clara.

“Clara!” he yelped.

“I knew there was something.” Clara gasped, gaining more energy and stepped into the TARDIS. Travelling with the box through the vortex was no ordinary journey.

“She’s - she’s just visiting.”

“She should be dead.”

“Well, hello - I’m back from death!” Missy gave a loud cynical laugh.

“Shut up!” The Doctor roared at Missy, “Clara - “

“Shut up, Doctor!” Clara across, “How’s she alive? How are you alive? Why are you allowed to be alive - when Danny - Danny Pink has to die?”

“I told you I should have pop off her emotions…” Missy mumbled. The Doctor turned to give her a death stare. “What? Where did I go wrong? I didn’t kill him. As far as I’m concerned, I did kill off a few little boring people who stood in the way… But I - didn’t - kill - Danny - Pink! Get your facts right, Clara.”

“But you’re with him… You! You’ve been with her - all the time!” Clara was now inching towards The Doctor. He was not a fan of angry Clara, even though he usually gets to act clever, but something about her being a teacher did send shiver down his spine sometimes.

“Sorry, ma’am” The Doctor stuttered, “No, I mean - Clara, we - we’re - we’re old friends! Yes, old friends and we found each other. That’s a very looooong story, I’m sure you don’t want to hear that, Clara.”

“Oh, I’ve got all day.”

“Well, boring…” Missy made a dramatic yawn and stepped towards Clara. The Doctor was immediately alerted and hold her back while shifting silently near the console area.

“It’s Sunday, Clara - “ The Doctor flew his ship back to Clara’s house, “And, I’m not open for appointment.” He was not good at talking or negotiating with angry Clara, but that was his ship and he could do whatever he want. “The door is that way.”

Clara looked hurt as she turned and exit the TARDIS.

*****

Watching Clara walked out of the TARDIS, The Doctor’s hearts sank. He wondered when will they go out for adventures again, as it used to be. Sure enough that he had Missy to poke around now, but that was an entirely different project...

“I told you she wasn’t ready to know about us,” The Doctor hissed.

“Did she reminds you of our professor during our school day?” Missy was suddenly all serious, “because you looked terrified just now - just like how you did when you - when we were young.”

The Doctor turned to Missy, “I grew out of it, Missy - we are now very different.”

“I know…” Missy sighed and ran her fingers across one of the Doctor’s bookshelves, “if only we could forget all about that…”

“Have you?” The Doctor looked at her from behind, wondering what trickery was Missy calculating inside her very own mind.

“I tried shutting down most of it,” Missy was speaking very softly, very unlike her usual self, “but they surface every now and then… Those days when we were young, they were bittersweet, aren’t they?”

“Do you still - “

“Hear the drums?”

“Yes.”

“Occasionally, I guess,” Missy smiled and turned to face The Doctor, “But it was funny - I ceased to hear them since this generation. I wondered why… but I’m not complaining. I have a much clearer mind now.”

“I see. Just wondered if -” The Doctor skipped towards Missy and hold her hand and led her to sit down at the seats. He reached out to envelope her face and gave her a deep kiss, “Shall we revisit  the memories of Gallifrey? Just for a while, to feel home again?”

Missy looked at him with a sympathetic look and patted his hair, nodding in agreement.

And so his chance came. Missy, or The Master, as The Doctor knew, was a much skilled telepath, but he would try to use this opportunity to give this archenemy a check. He needed to know what was she planning…

He pressed his forehead against hers and down they dwell. There were sections where the mind were so scattered and maddening that he could not make sense out of it. Was that how Missy’s mind work all the time? And he found the one both of them shared, running across the field as two naive boys, the days when nothing else matter. And he found another one which was not that chaotic, with Missy fresh out of regeneration back in a cellar, weak and shocked. It was always fluid for Gallifreyan to change during regeneration, but for Master who was halfway through time war and battle, and assumed a male form for almost his entire life, that was a big thing. The Doctor felt he could feel the shudders Missy felt in the cellar, uncertain of what life lies ahead of him or her. And then, he found another mind of hers, this time an escaped Missy, with more confidence and accepting, rearranging her TARDIS accordingly, ready for flight.

“You’ve gone too far, honey.”

The Doctor opened his eyes to find Missy’s mystical blue eyes staring down at his. He cleared his throat, “Hmm… It must be - hard - to go through all that.”

“I’d rather put them away, now that I found you.” Missy smiled, “Have you found what you were looking for?”

“Looking for?” The Doctor mumbled, “Yea - Gallifrey. Found them, the one we ran all the time.”

“Oh, that one.” Missy laughed, “I liked that one.”

“You think so?”

“I sort of think that was the reason I came to find you all the time, somehow.” Missy looked at him. Then she suddenly widened her eyes, “Oh, look at me, I’ve become so sentimental and serious. Ahhh, let us be merry again!” She stood up and try to initiate a dance around the TARDIS console but The Doctor grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She dropped and sat on his lap.

“I like the serious you too,” The Doctor whispered to her ears.

“Too?” Missy giggled.

“Don’t push it,” The Doctor smiled and grabbed her waist. He carried her, with Missy instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck and the two of them left the room.

 *****

The school bell rang and the kids were running out of school, as though it was the best thing that happened to them the whole day. Well, it was probably the best thing that happened to them, thought Clara. She erased the board and looked across the empty classroom. Her heart sank a little. She could still remember Danny banging his head on that very desk, the very few earlier memories of them.

It had been quite some time and people said time will heal. The problem was, for a time traveller, time was always so jumbled up and Danny’s shadow was always around, in her mind. Sometimes, she thought she could hear his voice, his shadow along the corridor, his warmth when they snuggled. But she knew he was not there anymore, not in this part of the universe at least. All the travel with the doctor, became a support from an old friend. The Doctor didn’t mention about it at all, but she was glad he was there to occupy the hollow space Danny would have been.

Suddenly, a wind swished past and the leaflets on the desk scattered around the floor. Clara quickly picked them up and walked to the windows to find they were all shut properly.

“Doctor? Is that you?”

She could feel it now. There was wind in the classroom, in a perfectly shut classroom.

“Clara?”

Clara froze. It was not The Doctor, it was someone else’s and she never thought it could be so comforting until she missed it so much. It was true when people said you never realize how much you like a person until you lose them. Danny Pink’s voice was echoing the classroom.

“Danny.”

“Clara? Is that you?”

“Yes, Danny. It’s me.”

“Something bad is happening!”

“What’s happening? Why am I hearing from you? Danny? Danny, are you alright?” Clara called.

“This void place - it’s breaking apart.” Danny’s voice echoed as the wind gushing the classroom was getting stronger and stronger.

“What?”

“This place is breaking apart, I don’t know what’s going on exactly.”

“Danny!”

“CLARA!” This time it was someone at the classroom door

Clara turned to find the man with silver hair, “Doctor!”

“Into the TARDIS, now!” The Doctor shouted with urgency, “P.E., you there?”

“Yes, Doctor! What should I do now?”

“I’ll explain later!” He choked and ran out of the classroom into the TARDIS, parked right outside the classroom. Clara followed.

*****

“Care to explain what’s happening?” Clara was not sure if she was trying to be funny or she was still absorbing the aftershock of hearing Danny. It was so surreal and his voice just woke all the emotions up in her. Clara looked around the TARDIS, “And - that woman?”

“Big stuff happening - what woman?” The Doctor shouted as he banged his fist on the console. The lights were rotating indicating them travelling.

“Oh - her,” The Doctor looked at Clara and got the point, “Missy’s her name and she’s not here.”

“So you two do take off days.”

“This is not a time for joke, Clara.” The Doctor turned one of the lever, “She’s Missy, my mistress. Hmm - that could sound like an explanation when River turned up - but she might not even know I’m her - ”

“Not interested in your love life, Doctor - I need to know about Danny.”

“I’m going there!” Doctor rolled his eyes, “Remember Missy was sort of in charge of the ‘saving of his minds’?”

“So THAT WOMAN did have something to do with this!”

“Calm down, Clara! Yes, she is - but not like what you’ve thought” The Doctor yelled, “ - I hope.”

“What happen when the void break apart, Doctor? Tell me.”

“They disappear, they break in, they break out,” Doctor panted, “I don’t know! It could happen either way.”

The TARDIS shaking ceased and The Doctor looked into the screen, showing the exterior. They were in a very bright building area. There, at the very end, he could see the familiar figure of Missy, prancing around madly.

“THAT WOMAN!”

Doctor pulled open the door and ran towards Missy. “What are you doing?”

“Kill them all!” Missy ignored The Doctor, not noticing his and Clara’s arrival. She was twirling around with a new device in her hand, sending zaps of lights across the room, which sent the room on sparks and fire. The machines along the wall were starting to give out alarms.

“Has she gone mad?”

“I didnae. I checked through her data and spied through her entirely but I hadn’t figure out anything.” The Doctor ducked and avoided the maddening firing of Missy’s and grabbed the device out of her hand.

“Oh!” Missy shrieked, “Doctor!”

“What’s wrong with you?” The Doctor yelled as he grabbed Missy. Clara busied herself by using her coat to put out as much fire as she could but she doubted she would ever succeed. Among the fire, she felt so much of Danny as though she could hear him calling out for her.

On the other side, The Doctor was astonished at what he saw in front of him. Missy was half laughing, half tearing. Her face was twisted with fear and craziness. She covered her ears the moment her device was robbed away.

“I can’t hear you!” Missy laughed, “I can’t hear you!” She cried.

“Missy!”

“I’m a madwoman, alas!” She broke free and struggled around the room, couldn’t find herself balanced, “They’re too loud!”

“Missy!” Doctor grabbed her into his arm and made her look into his eyes and he pressed his forehead on hers.

The Doctor nearly fainted by the very first touch on her wet forehead. It was all jumbled up, synapses firing impulse everywhere.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

He could hear the deafening drums, and it was loud, so loud that he couldn’t hear anything beyond that. Those memories he could see the previous times, were no longer clear. They were just one sheet of vague memory blanket, floating among others.

_Missy! Try to hear me!_

_If you’re in there, listen to me!_

_I’m here!_

He regretted instantly on how he did not do well or did not even bother to brush up his skills for all these years. Even if Missy hadn’t gone insane, he would - just by diving into her mind.

“Hello, old friend!”

The Doctor pushed Missy away to see her laughing maniacally. “Stop listening to the drums!”

“They’re are everywhere, dear!” she laughed, in her own world, “Oh, this is fun. The feel of in control - a bit of a push, and the void is gone.”

“Missy, listen to me!”

“Oh, shut up!” Missy laughed again, “Ha ha, I’m using your word even.” She was swaying around the room, “Now I remembered why conquering was so addicting. I can feel it!”

“It’s not about doing! It’s about the consequences”

“You think too much of the consequences, my dear!” Missy was laughing with her hands clutching her own head. The Doctor felt very sorry for her suffering at that very moment, but he was not very approving of what Missy was doing. “We’re not that different after all, heh? We did as much crazy things along the way.”

The Doctor hold Missy still with his arms and wrapped her in a hug. “Yes, my dear. We’ve made tonnes of insane decision, but today is not the day. Missy, my love, my old friend - if there’s any way you’re still in there, please, please, listen to me - come back. Come back to me. What would I do without you? We’ve come such a long way. I need my friend back. Please come back.”

“Arggghh,” Missy was twitching vigorously beside him. The confusion and pain must have drove her insane, The Doctor thought.

“Doctor, I’ve manage to stop all that was going on, but I’ve no idea what happened to the void, for real!” Clara chouted across the room. She was smoked and not entirely pleased to see The Doctor holding Missy so tightly, with affection. There she was, battling her own grief with Danny, doing damage control; while The Doctor was having his mushy moments with the evil woman.

“We’ve got to go,” The Doctor heard her and dragged Missy along as they hopped into the TARDIS.

“She’s not coming along, she’s the source of the trouble.” Clara yelled.

“She needs help,” The Doctor snapped, “And now is not the time to argue about that.”

*****

She couldn’t believe she was in the middle of this conversation. Do I have to do this?, she thought.

In front of her, The Doctor and Missy were seated next to each other, talking very loudly. He was being very dramatic on his chair, waving his arms and yelling, only Missy couldn’t. As opposed to The Doctor, she was chained to the chair.

“You bloody well know you shouldn’t do that!” The Doctor was outraged. They were

“You have no idea what is happening, dear!” Missy snapped. Her face was still as beautiful as ever, but slightly paled. The Doctor thought it might be due to her just recovered from the maddening meltdown earlier.

“Alright, now I’m listening - Tell me! - No, don’t tell me - it’s another of your crazy plan!”

“Now who’s the lunatic? Do you hear yourself? How ridiculous they are?”

“Don’t you dare comment on me, when you are the one who brought us here the first place.”

“I -”

“You know bloody well what will happen if the void breaks apart.”

“Clara won’t mind,”

“This is - are you joking? Do you think this is a time for jokes? Have you gone bananas?”

“What about me?” Clara was not listening to the two, exactly, until she heard her name.

“The void, my dear,” Missy ignored The Doctor and talked to Clara, “Danny was there, and he could come back if it -”

“So do millions and billions of other whatever.” The Doctor cut in, “There are more than Danny in the void and you have no idea what will become of them.”

“You’re just not feeling very comfortable because you’ve wronged so many, my dear - it has nothing to do with us.”

“Is that it?” The Doctor shouted into Missy’s ear. She shuddered at the sudden raise of voice but she should have expected. That was her Doctor when he’s mad. “Is that what you’ve been planning? To bring back all those - those people - back to judge me.” He silenced and murmured, “It’s not like you will be totally freed.”

Missy looked at The Doctor quietly. There seemed to be something going on in her head.

“Do you think you’ll be exempted, if the void is broken? Or do you want me dead so much that - Have you been planning this - since - since we’re - since when?”

Clara rolled her eyes, “Too much detail and I’m sick of you two discussing about the void - and Danny - like - like they’re nothing but little puppets in your plan.”

The Doctor turned to Clara and hold her hand, “I’m sorry, Clara. I - I didn’t realize -”

“It’s fine - just - what should we do now?”

“Ask her,” The Doctor snapped and tried to gave Missy a death stare. The Doctor and Clara nearly jumped off their chair as they turned their attention to Missy.

There she was, sleeping, but sweating profusely. Her face showed an expression of immense torture and she was pale grey.

“She’s sleeping, Doctor.” Clara gasped, “You lots should not be sleeping that much.”

“I know.” The Doctor ran across the console room to search for a blanket inside the storage corner. He came back with a fluffy ones and draped it over Missy. He wiped her sweat with his thumb, which was trembling. He had no idea he could be trembling at this kind of situation.

“Is she changing?” Clara said softly.

“Yes - no, I don’t think so,” The Doctor took a closer look at Missy, no significant stardust observed. “I will be freeing her from the chain, Clara. So, I need you on standby - I need you to be a backup in case she’s turned - you know what I mean.”

Clara nodded. The Doctor went behind the seats and searched for Missy’s hand and uncuffed her from the chain. He slumped himself on the floor.

“Doctor?” Clara went and asked, examining what happened to him while keeping an eye on the unconscious Missy.

The Doctor was holding Missy’s hand from behind, his head tilted and leaned against the back of the seat, his face twisted.

“What’s the matter?”

The Doctor looked up at her and his face graved. He pulled Clara’s hand and landed it on Missy’s pulse. “You’ve been around my timeline, you know what this means.”

Clara was stricken. Was Missy dead?

dub-dub-dub-dub

“She’s alive?”

The Doctor covered his face with his hand, “No, listen carefully.”

dub-dub-dub-dub

“It’s not as strong as a normal Time Lord’s?” Clara looked at The Doctor, confused.

“Of all things…” The Doctor covered his head with his hands, thinking hard, “ She’s - she’s pregnant, Clara.”

Clara did not know how she should react to this. “She’s pregnant?!”

The Doctor looked at her, “Why are you more shocked than me?”

“Because I thought - you were friends - girlfriend - I didn’t know you did it - Oh my gosh, what am I saying? No, please, I don’t want details.”

“Seriously? That’s what you thought?”

“No! Don’t tell me.”

“No, this is important. She’s pregnant - she bloody has a child in her!”

“You are just going through a panic attack phase, Doctor. Fathers always get that.”

“I’ve been a father before, I know what it feels like. This is not just that - This is Missy! Wait - ooooh!”

“What?”

“That makes sense! That makes perfect sense!”

“What, Doctor? You’re freaking me out.”

The Doctor sprang and stood up, “See, Clara. Missy, my lovely mistress -”

“Skip the flirting part.”

“What - anyway, she was a bit mad - a bit crazy - a bit evil - I kinda like that, I shouldn’t - but I like that.”

“Skip the flirting part.”

“She used to be mad and malfunctioned due to a childhood trauma, remember?”

“The drums.”

“Yes, exactly. She told me it rarely happen in her current incarnation - but - but - I could hear it very prominently when I explore her mind the other day.”

“Meaning she’s back as mad as before?”

“And her bearing a child made sense! As glorious it is to be able to bear a child, a Gallifreyan child, it also denotes a period of defence mechanism malfunction. You see, Clara, just like many organisms in the universe, when a mother is having a child, she will be very protective, hormone changes, but she will also give most of her nutrition, to the child, ensuring the health of the baby. That’s why her immunity to the drums weakened and thus -”

“And thus the rest of us have to suffer.”

“Yes - What? How can you say that, Clara?” The Doctor frowned, “She’s with a baby!”

“And now I know better to not blame it on her solely,” Clara snapped, “You and her - and your little meetups in the TARDIS. You want to build your own little Time Lord family, don’t build it on the lives of others!”

 

 

 

*more will come*


End file.
